The RedBone Coonhound is one of the earliest hound breeds developed exclusively in the United States and one of the earliest hound breeds to be registered in the U.K.C. (United Kennel Club). The U.K.C. is the club in the United States which registers many more of the hound groups and hunting dogs than the American Kennel Club, which, although it is more well known, does not suit the purposes of showing a hunting breed nearly as effectively as the U.K.C. In fact the only coonhound registered and judged by the A.K.C. in the United States is the Black and Tan Coonhound, but there are a large number of other hound breeds which are registered through the U.K.C. The United Kennel club is the organization which puts on most of the hound trials in the United States. The original red hounds that were the progenitors of the Redbone were from Scotland and are believed to have come over with the Scots in the early 1700s. The coon hunters of Tennessee and Georgia wished to have a dog that was "hotter" on the trail than the existing coonhounds of the day. They blended the foxhound and the red hound with some of the local curs and eventually a breed that was always red in color and always a "treeing" hound was born. ( A "treeing" hound is a hound which will give voice or "bay" when the coon is chased into a tree.) The Redbone is a moderately sized hound, standing 26 inches high and weighing 50-70 pounds. He is known to be quite hardy and has the endurance for long runs after the coon. He has also been used quite effectively as a hunting hound for big cats and coyote. This is a strong and handsome dog with a beautiful voice, usually giving notice when he "trees" the coon. The coat is dense and short and easy to care for. As for health matters, the Redbone is generally long lived and has few problems. As usual with any of the large dogs, he should be x-rayed for hip and elbow dysplasia before being used for breeding. The Redbone is a hound that prefers being with people and although he gets along well in a pack situation he is one of the hounds which is better behaved when he has a chance to be kept as a pet in a household. Gentle and affectionate and seldom quarrelsome, he is friendly to strangers and does not necessarily make an effective watch dog. He makes an excellent pet, being less noisy and quarrelsome than many of the other hounds. This is a breed that values human companionship and desires to be with people and makes a quiet and mannerly housedog. Furthermore this dog has such a great sense of smell and focus for training that it is being used increasingly in such areas as Search and Rescue and Cadaver Detection. |
